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nearForm is delighted to announce that Fiona McKenna, Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), has joined the firm as its new chief financial officer (CFO).

Fiona is a financial heavyweight with an impressive record in taking growing companies to new heights. Over the course of a twenty-six year career, she has worn several hats: financial consultant; managing director; financial controller; vice president of finance, HR, legal and regulatory; financial analyst; and chief financial officer.

A self-confessed “startup junkie” with international experience, Fiona specializes in getting under the hood of fast-growing companies and installing high-performing financial tools, systems and processes.

Fiona describes her mission at nearForm thus:

“I intend to consolidate and scale up the company’s financial recording and reporting processes. What I’m aiming to create is a strong financial engine room that supports and fortifies the company’s fast rate of growth. I’m building a finance team that connects with our staff and our clients—a team that anticipates and responds to people’s needs and provides meaningful information in plain English, not accounting-speak.”

She’s not all about the numbers, though: Fiona has established herself as someone who builds strong relationships, and creates and leads loyal teams.

Some of her career highlights have been:

Building the Irish operation of a US company from the ground up, raising $6 million in two tranches, acting as group CFO (US and Irish operations), serving as Managing Director (Ireland), and overseeing successful product launch in the highly competitive US market.

Taking the reins as interim General Manager at a venture-backed boutique travel company in the UK, turning around the business and leading it to achieve its best trading result in four years.

As part of the executive team at Hibernia Networks, taking the company from post-liquidation acquisition with no customers, to EBITDA-positive status with a multi-million dollar recurring revenue stream, in the space of six years. Fiona also led the Legal and Regulatory team and the HR function as staff numbers grew from six to over 100.

nearForm head of engineering, Peter Elger, says:

“We’re thrilled that Fiona has chosen to come to work with nearForm. With her on board, nearForm is in a position to manage its growth and move up a level in terms of professionalism.”

Cian O’Maidín, chief executive officer (CEO) of nearForm, sees the new hire as a major coup for the company:

“Fiona is a financial superhero who is already enhancing financial control and discipline at nearForm. With her, the company is in a position to move its growth to the next level.”